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kingsnake.com
Bill Love
Herp Photography
March 2, 2005
PHFlame: Thank you for coming to the special guest
chat this evening. If you have a question for Bill Love, please type
? in the room and you will be added to the queue. You WILL be called
on in the order of ? received. Please do not type openly in the chat
room.
HHFrog: ?
Maliyum: ?
rockybalboa_nr: ?
LeoGeoGuy: ?
shogunreptle_nr: ?
PHFaust: Cody
ig_daddy: ?
Crazycodykadunk: Do u have any published photos and is so where
have they bin published?
SengokuJidai_nr: ?
nei: ?
blove: Too many to count or keep track of at this point. REPTILES
mag is where the most appear.
PHFaust: Which we all should subscribe to
PHFaust: :)
LeoGeoGuy: why?
PHFaust: Ig Daddy your question please
PHFaust: TO LEARN
Heterodon62: ?
ig_daddy: Which do you shoot mostly, film or digital, and why?
blove: All slides so far. I've got a new digicam en route to
me right now, though, so I'm about to get serious in digital.
ig_daddy: Which one?
blove: I chose a Sony DSC F828.
ig_daddy: Wow! I have one too!
Crocman2020: ?
PHFaust: HH Your question please
HHFrog: what are the special detachable lenses called that
allow super-close focusing on manual cameras, and where is the best
place to get them. Also any additional info on them?
blove: MACRO lenses. I buy from Adorama.com in NY. For herps,
that's all you need. Skip the 'normal' lens that they try to sell
you with the camera initially.
HHFrog: ah...ok
PHFaust: Mali your question
Maliyum: Okay,I want to take really good pictures of my turtle.
I can never take really clear, right pictures of her. She comes out
blurry, or the light is either too bright or too low, and you can
not see her at all. I just got a brand new camera and im still having
a little bit of problems. Any advice? And What is your fav herp to
take photo's of and why?
blove: Turtles are tough because they can often be shy, but
once they come out, they're a cinch. One of the big advantages of
a digicam will be to review your shots and take them again if necessary.
My preference for photo subjects among herp is vipers.
Maliyum: cool thanks!
PHFaust: Rocky your turn
rockybalboa_nr: hi bill in youre trips too madagascar what
boas have you seen and took pics of and what camera do you use,i use
canon cameras.thanks alot,and thanks for chating too us.I love rading
youre articles in reptiles mag.
blove: I've found all 3 boas many times, and always try for
them all eact trip. Usually I'm successful. I use Nikon N90s now,
but will probably semi-retire them when the Sony arrives.
rockybalboa_nr: thanks,cool
blove: I appreciate your comments about my column too!
PHFaust: Leogeo you are up...
rockybalboa_nr: you're welcome
DemonFrog: ?
rockybalboa_nr: ?
DemonFrog: have you ever been to grenada
lilBRAT_nr: ?
blove: While waiting, never been to Grenada yet.
LeoGeoGuy: what are the fine elements to shooting a nice picture
gecko_nr: ok
blove: That could be a book-length answer. Shoot at a low angle,
and fill the frame, would be two of the things I see wrong with many
pics
blove: And get the herp to NOT be looking away in the pic.
PHFaust: Shogun your turn
shogunreptle_nr: Hi, nice to see you again- I met you at a
Raleigh expo last year. Anywho- I've been wondering about the fact
that all over the internet, when you go to purchase a reptile, many
of the picture synopsis's say that "This picture doesn't even
compare to the ture color of the animal." What IS the best way
to capture the color and detail and such to create a truly great picture
of your animal, or even wild animals? Also- is the MACRO function
on digital cameras comparable to the MACRO lens itself? Sorry, one
more question. About Madagascar, what kind of opportunities would
there be for college students to either go with you, or go there themselves
to work on research papers, internships, etc.
shogunreptle_nr: Wow, that was long. Sorry
blove: There are so many variables in how color is rendered,
I'd say simply DON't tweak colors over what your camera shows, and
that's generally going to be "true enough" color on the
web. More...
blove: I can't compare slide to digi macro too well yet, but
there is a factor of about 1 to 1:6 in the power of lenses in digi
vs. SLR. More...
blove: College students are always welcome, but to do research
there on the cheap, you need to get with a university with an active
Mad. researcher, like Univ. of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
shogunreptle_nr: Is that a good herpetology college?
blove: NEXT
shogunreptle_nr: thanks!
PHFaust: Sengo your turn
blove: Ron Nussbaum at Ann Arbor is the main reason that Univ.
is a Mad. specialist.
SengokuJidai_nr: Bill, whenever I take the camera out my -usually
calm- Python freaks on me, how do you get the herps you're shooting
to calm down for the photo?
nei: ??
blove: Patience, patience, patience. Don't put them in direct
sun. Do it on a cooler day. Have a dog nearby - that often spooks
herps into temporary stasis.
blove: NEXT
SengokuJidai_nr: Are you serious?
SengokuJidai_nr: A dog to scare them?
blove: It works sometimes.
SengokuJidai_nr: ok...thanks
blove: NEXT
PHFaust: Nei your turn
PHWyvern: ?
PHFlame: ?
shogunreptle_nr: ?
mpherps: ?
PHFaust: Nei going twice
PHLiz: ?
gecko_nr: that was not nice
PHFaust: OK Moving on to Croc
PHGinger: Folks - please have your questions typed - it saves
time
PHFaust: Croc man 2020
blove: In the reshuffling lull - I'll respond to a snippet
I saw at the start: I ordered the new Sony digicam specifically for
the 'low light advantage' of being able to shoot in natural light.
PHFaust: Alrighty then, lets give Rockybalboa a shot
rockybalboa_nr: Hi bill,what is youre favorite madagascan boa
too take pics of,ground,tree or dumerils.And where do i get info on
youre tours,also i try and take pics of my snakes at home(indoors)
do you have any tips for me,thanks again.
PHFaust: WOO HOO Someone live!
ig_daddy: Bill, the body swivels out 70 degrees, to allow you
to get down low, too.
rockybalboa_nr: bill i live in northern canada,its hard too
take pics outside with my snakes
blove: I like the tree boas best because I find them in more
diverse places than the other two. My Mad. tours are at: www.bluechameleon.org
. I'm about to get new tours posted this week. On the photo tips -
can you narrow it down a tad?
rockybalboa_nr: how about scene setup and lighting
blove: In northern Canada, I'd wait to shoot your herps until
the week of August 1-7 when it's warm enough to take them outside.
Donovan_nr: ?
blove: NEXT
rockybalboa_nr: thanks for youre answers
PHFaust: Shogun
rockybalboa_nr: ?
shogunreptle_nr: Hey again! Back to colleges, what would you
sat is THE BEST over all herpetology program?
shogunreptle_nr: Or even a few programs, just for choices
nei: ?
blove: I don't know them all, but I know the Univ. of Florida
in Gainesville, FL is topnotch. For Mad. herps, Univ. of Michigan
at Ann Arbor.
blove: NEXT
shogunreptle_nr: OK, thanks!
PHFaust: Nei your turn NOW
nei: How do you deal with taking photos of an animal that moves
around a lot. Is it a bad idea to just keep taking a lot of pictures
to hope to get a good one? what would you suggest?
blove: With digital, why not shotgun for the best pic? It may
not be the skilled method, but it can work, and that's the bottom
line. I prefer patience myself, and just outlast a herp that keeps
running.
blove: Get a large MB chip so you can take tons of pics.
blove: NEXT
PHFlame: Wyv, you're up
PHWyvern: Is there a reason you prefer slide film to print
film? Any particular advantage or disadvantages to using slide (other
than the higher cost in processing it)
blove: Slides are more broadly useful, and record more data
than even digicams. If you're blowing them up to bigger than 8"
x 10", slides are best. And of course, they're projectable, though
digi is fast catching up and will surpass slides soon I think.
blove: NEXT
PHFaust: Demonfrog your turn
blove: I think that slides will soon be considered 'professional
use only' by people making posters, billboard ads, centerfolds, etc.
DemonFrog: do you have annulated tree boas? ever photographed
them?
DemonFrog: if i take some pics of them do you want me to send
you some?
blove: Never had them, but did photo some at Ft. Worth Zoo,
TX 5+ years ago.
DemonFrog: are they easy subjects?
blove: Don't send your frog pics to me, but consider posting
them on www.fieldherpers.com to share what you're finding in the wild.
Or on kingsnake.com's field herping forum too, of course.
blove: NEXT
PHFaust: PHLiz your turn
DemonFrog: thank you so much and good night everyone
PHLiz: Where did you take your most rewarding cham photo(s),
which locale? Also what other tips or advice do you have for someone
looking into keeping pygmy chams (other than the information typically
found in books and online)?
shogunreptle_nr: ?
shogunreptle_nr: What is the best Major to take when wanting
to deal mostly with herps for your carrer?
blove: I have the most fun shooting chameleons in Ambanja becuase
they're so beautiful there, plus I stay long enough to know people
and have them help set up special shots, feeding pics, etc.
blove: I haven't kept Brookesia personally. I think they can
handle extremes of humidity, and keepers might try varying that aspect
of their environment more, but that's speculation, not fact from me.
blove: I'd suggest a major in business and do herps as a hobby.
LeafTail: ?
PHFaust: Donovan your turn
PHWyvern: ?
blove: Carreers in herpetology require lots of bio and chemistry.
I don't have a degree in herpetology, just a long 'Roads Scholarship'.
Donovan_nr: Bill, how long have you been photographing herps?
shogunreptle_nr: Thanks!
PHFaust: Leaftail your turn
blove: I' got my first real camera -- Olympus OM-1 -- in 1975.
blove: That's when my career really began.
Donovan_nr: cool
LeafTail: Tips on getting a gecko to hold still and look at
you for a photo without scaring it into turning dark?
blove: Geckos often freeze once a flash has hit them, and they
usually start licking their eyes too. Flash a pre-flash to see if
it works for the species you want to shoot. Also, try not to directly
handle it - use a cup to cup it. they seem to react to warm hands
by darkening.
LeafTail: thanks!
blove: NEXT
PHFaust: Rocky your turn
rockybalboa_nr: Bill what types of diverse places have you
found the tree boa in,what problems are the boas of madagascar facing.and
do you know of a site that breed tree boas or a site that i can learn
about them,thanks again.
rockybalboa_nr: i really like the green phase mad.tree boa
blove: I summed up my knowledge of Mad. tree boas in a REPTILES
article just a year or so ago - forgot which issue. they're found
nearly island-wide in virtually all habitats. I'd Google them to find
a breeder.
shogunreptle_nr: ?
rockybalboa_nr: thanks
PHFaust: PHWyvern, your turn
PHWyvern: When dealing with photographs outside of typical
artistic license or just sharing with folks, do you think it's ethical
for someone to 'enhance' a digital photo (even for something as minor
as altering lighting or contrast or playing with other filters) when
the photos are of animals that person is actively trying to sell for
profit?
blove: I know a bunch of folks are working on them now that
that bunch of juvies came in in the mid-late 1990s and were dispersed.
blove: Digital enhancement of animals for sale is like false
advertising. Same goes for falsely representing images as true nature.
But as an artist, I think it's OK to display altered works that are
for sale IF the photographer / artist acknowledges the tweaking as
part of what he / she did to achieve the 'art'. Photoshop is part
of the photographer's palette now.
blove: NEXT
PHFaust: Shogun you will have the last question
shogunreptle_nr: What's the best route to take when trying
to get the publishers and editor at magazines like REPTILES to see
your work, and take it seriously? How many photos should be included
on average?
blove: To best get the editors at REPTILES to notice your work,
print some 4" x 6" (or larger) pics to accompany the article
- it's easier to view easily without having to bring them up on a
computer, or use a loup on a light table. Also, get a known author
/ photographer to recommend you to the editors to get their attention
if they're busy. Don't forget, it may seem like they get a zillion
submissions, but they NEED god, new pics constantly too, so keep trying.
shogunreptle_nr: Thanks for your time!
PHFlame: Bill, on behalf of all of us at kingsnake.com, thank
you so much for being our guest tonight! Thank you to all who joined
us tonight as well. Please join us tomorrow when our guest will be
Kara Glasgow of NERD.
For information on all our Chat Week events, please visit our schedule
at http://www.kingsnake.com/HerpChat7.html
rockybalboa_nr: thanks bill and all moderators, what a great
chat,thanks
PHFaust: Bill, Kathy, Thanks to both of you for staying up
late this evening... We appreciated it
blove: A typical article uses from 12- 20 pics. For just submitting
pics themselves, limit it to 50 to see it they're impressed with your
quality. Don't overwhelm them until they know you've got good stuff.
LeafTail: thanks bill from all of us
blove: Good night!
also... Lizardkeepers.com | AprilFirstBioEngineering.com
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